


After the End

by Asgardsrevengers



Category: Marvel, Thorbruce - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Fluff, High in angst, M/M, Maybe - Freeform, Tony Stark Is a Good Bro, happyish ending, only in the beginning tho, so is Valkyrie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-07
Updated: 2019-04-23
Packaged: 2020-01-06 08:13:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18384485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Asgardsrevengers/pseuds/Asgardsrevengers
Summary: The fight with Thanos is over, and some didn’t make it out alive. Luckily there are people who will do anything to get their friends back, even at the highest cost.(No Endgame spoilers because this is not Endgame compliant)





	1. Sacrifice

The fight was finally over. Thanos was gone. Everyone who was dusted was back with their loved ones. But the battle had cost too much, and not everyone survived. Bodies were still being recovered, but the only one that mattered was the one lying in front of Bruce, still and pale.  
Bruce places his hand on the forehead, pushing his fingers through the blond hair. He wanted to say something, yell, scream, cry, but nothing came out. His heart felt like it was tearing into a billion pieces and disintegrating, leaving him nearly numb to anything he should be feeling in the moment. But that was the problem, he’d give anything to be completely numb to this, to not have to feel this kind of pain. To have Thor back.  
His throat felt like sandpaper when he tried to talk. So he just leaned down and kissed Thor’s forehead, a tear slipping from his eye and onto Thor’s skin.  
“I’m so sorry.” Bruce’s voice was gravely and barely there. “I failed you, Thor. I should’ve been there to help you.” Bruce sniffles and rests his head on Thor’s chest, letting the tears fall. He tightly grips Thor’s shirt as his tears wet it. “It should’ve been me,” he sobs. He lifts his head and pushes his chair out from under him, standing abruptly. The pain and sadness was gone now, replaced with anger. “It should’ve been me!” He screams as he throws the chair across the room. It clatters against the wall and falls to the floor.  
He screams again, sobs racking his chest, a sharp pain rippling through his body. He falls to his knees and screams up at the sky till his voice goes hoarse. Tears flow like a stream down his cheeks, falling onto his shirt and soaking it.  
Behind him, a door opens. He doesn’t bother looking, just sits with his back to it, body shaking with silent sobs. He doesn’t move when he hears footsteps approaching, he doesn’t move when Valkyrie kneels down in front of him, and he doesn’t move when she wraps her arms around him in a tight embrace.  
He feels her body shaking slightly. Bruce had never seen Valkyrie cry or show any fear, but he imagined she was falling apart too.  
“What are we supposed to do?” Bruce asks, his throat still hoarse from screaming. Valkyrie pulls away and wipes at her red eyes.  
“We give him a Kings burial. It’s what he deserves.”  
“He deserves to be here,” Bruce says dryly and Valkyrie bites the inside of her lip to stop the stinging in her eyes.  
“Yes, he does.”

 

Bruce stands at the edge of the waterfall, looking down at the raging waters below. His hands shake as he looks at the wooden casket by his side.  
Thor lies inside the casket, his hands placed over a sword, as was Asgardian tradition. His body is decorated with beautiful, colorful flowers, some braided into his short hair. (Bruce’s doing)  
Some of the surviving Asgardians approach and Bruce backs up only a little as they take hold of the casket. Together they lift it up and wait for a signal.  
Valkyrie appoches Bruce, holding a scepter of some sort.  
“This was Odin’s Staff,” Valkyrie tells Bruce. “Take it.”  
“What do I do?” Bruce asks. He’d read up a little on Asgardian funeral rituals to prepare for today, but he didn’t really know his part in all this. He wasn’t Asgardian, afterall.  
“When they let go of the casket, you strike the ground twice with the staff.”  
“Should it really be me? I know Odin is supposed to do this, but seeing as how he can’t, shouldn’t it be one of Thor’s people?”  
“It should be you,” Valkyrie says, handing Bruce the scepter. He reluctantly takes it and gently places the end on the ground.  
The six Asgardians holding Thor’s casket walk ceremoniously to the edge of the waterfall. They each mutter something in a language Bruce can’t understand, probably last respects to their king.  
Finally they drop the casket. Bruce’s heart drops with it. For a second everything moves slowly, and he almost forgets his duty.  
Valkyrie nudges him and he lifts the scepter before striking it down forcefully. He does it again and Thunder erupts in the sky above them.  
The casket stops just before it hits the water. It flies gracefully upwards and the archers stand with their fiery bows ready. With a nod of Valkyrie’s head they let their arrows fly into the casket. It catches fire, along with Thor’s body.  
“Strike the ground again,” Valkyrie instructs. Bruce, teary-eyed, strikes the ground again. The casket burns away and Thor’s body falls to the water.  
Bruce’s hands tremble and Valkyrie takes the staff from him. It begins to rain, but nobody moves. They stand by the edge, silent and heartbroken at the loss of their king, friend, and lover. Bruce kneels on the ground by the edge, everyone mirrors him. Valkyrie kneels beside him, placing her hand on his shoulder.  
“Thor Odinson,” Valkyrie says loudly. “The most just and brave king Asgard has ever seen.”  
“A brave knight and fair king,” one of the Asgardians adds.  
Bruce’s heart breaks as he watches the water carry Thor’s body away.  
“A friend and ally to all,” another Asgardian says proudly. Bruce cries now. Surrounded by Asgardians, soaking wet with rainwater.  
“Selfless till his last breath.”  
The Asgardians each pay their respects to their king.  
“Strong, but gentle as a butterfly.”  
“Fearless in the face of adversity.”  
By the time they’re done, Bruce is sobbing. Valkyrie squeezes his shoulder. “Would you like to say something?” she asks quietly. Bruce’s breath hitches. He wasn’t sure if he could. He nods his head anyways and sucks in a sharp breath.  
“You were the greatest love and adventure of my life. Though our time together was short, I swear I’ll never forget the way you made me feel…” Bruce swallows and inhales before continuing. “You breathed life back into my lungs when I was ready to give up, and for that I’m forever grateful. You were so beautiful, and you deserved the best life.” Bruce’s tears meld with the raindrops. He looks down at his trembling hands, hoping he hadn’t let the Asgardians down.  
Valkyrie squeezes his shoulder in reassurance. Behind him, Bruce can hear the footsteps of the Asgardians leaving slowly.  
Soon, it’s just him and Valkyrie.  
“I don’t know what to do without him,” Bruce admits. “I don’t know how to move on.”  
Valkyrie exhales quietly and moves her hand to hold Bruce’s.  
“He deserved better than to die at the hands of The Mad Titan.”  
Bruce closes his eyes to stop the tears. “I would give anything to trade places with him.”  
“We both know that’s not possible.”  
“I know,” Bruce whispers. “I took our time together for granted. We both thought we were immortal, that nothing could touch us.”  
“You can’t dwell on those things,” Valkyrie tells him gently.  
“I can’t die, Val, I’m never going to see him again. And even if I do die, I don’t go to Valhalla.”  
Valkyrie looks down, training her eyes on the ground. She steadies her breathing and looks to Bruce.  
“What if I told you that there’s a way to get him back?”  
Bruce’s head snaps up. “What?”  
“I might have a way.”  
“Why didn’t you say something before?” Bruce demands.  
“Because it comes at a cost. Things like this always do.”  
“How do we do it?” Bruce asks eagerly.  
“I go to Valhalla and make a bargain with the ruler.”  
“Who’s the ruler?”  
Valkyrie’s eyebrows furrow. “Before she was brought back, Hela was ruler, now that she’s dead again...I imagine nothing’s changed.”  
“There’s no way she’d make a deal with you,” Bruce says, heart dropping in disappointment.  
“I can try.”  
“What kind of bargain?” Bruce asks skeptically.  
“Don’t worry about it.” Valkyrie gives a reassuring smile as she stands up.  
“Well, how do you even get to Valhalla?”  
“I pray to Hela and hope she doesn’t ignore me.”  
“Are you sure about this?”  
“I’m sure.”  
Bruce nods and stands up.  
“I have to do this alone, Bruce.”  
“Oh, um, alright.” Bruce plays with his hands nervously. “I’ll go back to the compound.”  
Valkyrie simply nods and Bruce turns his back and starts the trek back to the compound. 

 

“Brucie?”  
Bruce jumps at the sudden noise and turns to see Tony standing in the door of the lab. “Didn’t mean to jump you,” Tony apologizes.  
“It’s fine,” Bruce mutters, turning back to his work. Tony’s forehead creases with concern.  
“How was the funeral?” he asks, not sure what else to say.  
“Beautiful,” Bruce replies. Tony steps into the lab and stands by Bruce’s side.  
“How’re you holding up? Sorry, that’s a stupid question. I’m surprised at how well you’re handling yourself-”  
“Tony,” Bruce cuts in. “I just want some quiet, please.”  
“Sorry,” Tony frowns and turns to leave. Bruce sighs.  
“Wait.”  
Tony turns back, raising his eyebrows in question.  
“I could use a friend,” Bruce says. Tony nods in understanding and returns to his place beside Bruce. 

 

They work in silence for awhile till Bruce feels comfortable talking about it.  
“I didn’t know my heart could ever hurt this much,” he says quietly. “It feels like I’m rotting from the inside out.”  
That only makes Tony’s worry lines get deeper.  
“He was the love of my life,” Bruce laughs bitterly. “I know we were an unlikely pair, but we loved each other, that’s what matter, right?”  
Tony nods his head. “That’s all that matters.”  
“I keep replaying in my head what I could’ve done to help him.”  
“Nothing that happened was your fault,” Tony tells him, placing a gentle hand on his arm. “We all made the call to go in there, not knowing what would happen, and we lost a lot of good people.”  
Bruce sighs heavily and covers his face with his hands.  
“The worst part is that I’m not even sad, I’m fucking angry. Then I feel guilty for not feeling sad, then I feel sad, then just numb sometimes.”  
Tony’s heart aches for his friend.  
“Human emotions are fucked up, I’ll be the first to tell you that, and it’s ok to not know exactly what you’re feeling all the time.”  
“I feel...tired,” Bruce sighs and shakes his head. Tony nods and helps Bruce off his chair.  
“Let’s get you to bed, huh?”  
“I don’t think I can sleep.”  
“Try. Please.”  
Bruce looks at Tony’s pleading eyes and nods his head. “Yeah, ok.”

 

Bruce didn’t sleep a wink that night. For two reasons. One being the loss of his best friend and lover.  
He tossed and turned to no avail. He got up and took some melatonin and tried again, but still no success.  
He cried for two hours, then layed in bed, not really wanting to feel anything anymore.  
At three am he got up and went out to the balcony, wanting to feel the wind on his skin. It was too cold, but he didn’t care. He stayed out there for an hour before going back inside and crawling into bed.  
He slept on Thor’s side of the bed, the earthy scent of the god still lingering there. That just made the ache in Bruce’s chest hurt even more. But he couldn’t tear himself away from it. Any ounce of Thor he could get, he’d take. 

The second reason he got no sleep that night was a knock on his door at five in the morning. Bruce didn’t have the energy to answer. It was probably Tony wanting to talk about a problem he needed help with in the lab.  
When another knock sounded, Bruce rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling.  
He heard the door crack open, but didn’t look over.  
“Bruce?”  
Bruce nearly jumped out of the bed. He sat up, eyes wide and unbelieving.  
“Thor?”

 

— “Ahhh!” Thor gasped as his lungs filled with air. He coughed up water on the riverbank, gagging and gasping for air.  
He looked around frantically.  
“Hello, your majesty.”  
Thor looks up to a grinning Valkyrie.  
“Where am I?” Thor asks.  
“Somewhere in a place called “New York” I think.”  
“New York? The compound?”  
“Yes, we’re near that,” Valkyrie nods. Thor sits up and looks around, still confused.  
“Why was I in a river?”  
“You don’t remember?” Valkyrie asks. Thor shakes his head. “You died.”  
Thor’s eyebrows raise. “Then how am I here?”  
“I went to Valhalla.”  
“Valkyrie.” Thor’s voice held a warning tone. “Tell me you didn’t strike a deal with Hela.”  
“It was the only way,” Valkyrie argues.  
“You never strike a deal with the leader of Valhalla! It always costs more than what you got back!” Thor’s voice booms and echoes through the surrounding trees.  
“I had to!”  
“No you-”  
“Bruce,” Valkyrie says. “You should’ve seen him. He was barely holding it together after your death. He would’ve destroyed himself if I didn’t bring you back. I didn’t do it for me or you, I did it for him.”  
Thor’s heart clenches. Bruce. Of course.  
“What did it cost?” Thor asks.  
“It doesn’t matter,” Valkyrie shrugs.  
“Tell me or I call Hela and go back.”  
“My soul!”  
Thor stares up at her as her shoulders slump. “When I die my soul is promised to Hela.”  
“No,” Thor whispers in disbelief. “Think of what she’ll make you do.”  
“I don’t care. I couldn’t bare to see Bruce like that. You brought him back to life, he would’ve rotted away without you.”  
“Where is he?” Thor asks. He couldn’t think about going another minute without seeing Bruce.  
“The compound,” Valkyrie answers. “Come on, I’ll take you.” —

 

“Thor?” Bruce couldn’t believe his eyes. Thor grinned wide and ran to the bed, scooping Bruce up in his arms. Tears stream down Bruce’s face. He grasps at Thor’s arms, touching anywhere he could to prove to himself this was real. “It worked?” he cries.  
“Yes,” Thor nods quickly as he scatters kisses on Bruce’s face. “I love you, Bruce. God, I love you so much.”  
Bruce laughs wetly and holds Thor’s face in his hands. His heart soars as he looks in Thor’s eyes. “I love you, too, Thor.”  
Thor pulls Bruce into a tight embrace, peppering kisses on the top of his head. “I thought I’d lost you forever,” Bruce says through his tears.  
“Didn’t I promise I’d come back to you?”  
Bruce laughs joyously and holds onto Thor tighter. “I can’t believe you’re here and I’m touching you. You’re really here.”  
“I’m here, darling,” Thor says gently. Bruce pulls back to look up at Thor. He kisses him then, slowly and passionately.  
Thor wraps an arm around Bruce’s back and gently guides him to lie on the bed. He only pulls away to study Bruce’s face. His eyes full of disbelief and joy. Bruce reaches up, trailing his fingers along Thor’s beard. Thor turns his head to the side and presses a kiss to Bruce’s palm. Their eyes meet and Thor can see the longing in Bruce’s eyes, the fear that Thor might disappear any second.  
“Don’t be scared, I’m not going anywhere,” Thor promises. Bruce reaches up, pulling Thor into another kiss. He couldn’t speak now, too overcome with so many emotions, but Thor knew exactly what he needed, he always did. 

 

They don’t come out of Bruce’s room till noon that morning, both grinning like love struck idiots. Bruce’s curly hair was in disarray, and he was sure he’d put his shirt on inside out. He didn’t care. He didn’t care because Thor was back, beside him, touching him, laughing with him.  
As they walk to the kitchen, Thor holds up Bruce’s hand and presses his lips against it.  
“Pointbreak?”  
Thor and Bruce look up to see Tony’s shocked expression. “What the hell?” Tony asks. “Wh-how-”  
“Valkyrie made a deal, it’s a long story,” Thor says with a wave of his hand. Tony closes the short distance and pulls Thor into a suffocating hug.  
“Fuck, I’m glad you’re back.”  
Thor chuckles and pats Tony’s back.  
“I missed you, too, Stark.”  
Tony pulls away and clasps Bruce on the shoulder. “You good, Bruce?”  
“Better than ever,” Bruce replies with a wide grin. “Well, obviously you two have some...uh…” Tony notes Bruce’s inside out and backwards shirt. “catching up to do.”  
Bruce’s cheeks turn a flush pink. “Thanks, Tony.”  
Tony smiles brightly and turns, leaving them alone.  
“Breakfast?” Thor asks.  
“Certainly did work up an appetite,” Bruce chuckles and playfully elbows Thor’s side. Thor laughs heartily and takes Bruce’s hand in his. They walk to the kitchen, not a care in the world between them. 

 

When they get to the kitchen, Valkyrie is there, sipping on a cup of coffee, (Spiked with brandy, of course) and Thor is painfully reminded of what she did for him.  
“Morning,” Valkyrie says with a raised brow. “You two certainly don’t have any regard for anyone else’s sleep.”  
Thor laughs and Bruce turns his face down in embarrassment.  
“Sorry,” Bruce mutters.  
“Don’t be, I’m actually happy for you, despite being the grossest people in the universe.”  
Thor smiles as he opens the fridge, grabbing a carton of orange juice and two glasses. He pours one for him and one for Bruce.  
“Thanks,” Bruce smiles up at Thor when he hands him the glass.  
“So, are you going to go work in the lab today?” Thor asks Bruce, hoping for an opportunity to talk to Valkyrie alone.  
“I thought we could just spend some time together,” Bruce says, and Thor smiles softly.  
“Oh course, love.”  
“Ugh!” Valkyrie groans dramatically. “You two are disgusting.”  
Thor grins at her, and that only makes her roll her eyes harder. 

 

When they finished breakfast Bruce stood and tugged at Thor’s hand. “I’m going for a shower, do you wanna join?”  
Thor smiles and kisses Bruce’s hand. “I’m going to clean up, I’ll be there in a minute, promise.”  
“Okay,” Bruce nods and gives Thor a quick kiss before heading to the bathroom.  
Thor’s smile fades as he turns to look at Valkyrie.  
“Can we not do this?” Valkyrie asks.  
“We have to talk about this,” Thor insists. “We need to figure something out.”  
“There’s no way to fix this, so just drop it,” Valkyrie argues.  
“No.” Thor shakes his head. “I refuse to believe that. We’re going to find a way to get you out of this, I swear it.”


	2. Bond

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor and Bruce search for a way to save Valkyrie

Thor sat against the headboard of his and Bruce’s shared bed, reading a book Bruce had recommended.  
The bedroom door opens and Bruce walks in, his shirt collar singed and hair in disarray.  
“Darling, what happened?” Thor asks, setting his book to rest on his lap.  
“Just a minor incident in the lab, no one got hurt,” Bruce answers as he pulls his shirt off and fishes another one from the dresser. He slips it on, along with a pair of sweatpants before crawling into the bed beside Thor.  
Thor opens his arms and pulls Bruce close to his chest, dropping a quick kiss to Bruce’s head. He returns to his book and Bruce closes his eyes, relishing in the steady beat of Thor’s heart. He presses a kiss to Thor’s chest, turning on his side and placing his hand on Thor’s chest. Thor shifts uncomfortably and Bruce looks up at him.  
“What’s wrong?” Bruce asks, resting his chin on Thor’s chest.  
“Sorry, I’m just tired is all,” Thor says with a forced smile. “It’s nothing.”  
“I’m sorry.” Bruce pouts his lip in sympathy. “Why don’t you turn over and I’ll give you a massage.”  
Thor raises his eyebrows. “You know where that always leads.”  
“Not this time.” Bruce shakes his head. “Just a massage.”  
Thor chuckles quietly and turns to lie on his stomach. Bruce climbs onto his lower back, placing his hands on Thor’s shoulders. He begins kneading the muscles there, pressing his palms into Thor with perfect pressure.  
Thor lets out a long sigh as he sinks into the bed. This was the most relaxed he’d felt all day. After that talk with Valkyrie, he’d been pretty discouraged. She’d insisted he drop the whole thing and just forget about it, as if he was going to let his best friends soul be damned for eternity.  
“Hey, where’d you go?” Bruce’s voice pulls Thor back to the present.  
“Hmm?” he hums in reply.  
“You spaced out,” Bruce says, his hands traveling down Thor’s back. “What’s been up with you today? You’ve been so distracted.”  
“Sorry, darling, just thinking.”  
“Anything I can help with?” Bruce asks as he massages Thor’s lower back.  
“It’s nothing of importance, Thor lies. He hated lying to Bruce, but he couldn’t put this burden on Bruce’s shoulders, he knew Bruce would blame himself.  
“I just don’t like seeing you upset like this,” Bruce tells him. Thor frowns with guilt.  
“I promise it’s nothing you need to worry about.”  
Bruce leans down, pressing a lingering kiss to Thor’s shoulder.  
“You know you can tell me anything. Thor turns his head and Bruce kisses him.  
“I know, I’m not hiding anything,” Thor replies. Bruce smiles and Thor turns his face away, swallowing his guilt. If lying to Bruce meant Bruce got to have a clean conscience, then so be it. 

 

Thor cornered Valkyrie the next morning. She was training with Maria Hill, but they stopped when Thor came in, arms crossed over his chest, eyebrows furrowed together.  
“Same time tomorrow?” Maria asks as she takes her boxing gloves off.  
“Yeah.” Val nods her head and watches Maria go, smirking a little. Thor clears his throat and Val looks up at him. “I know why you’re here,” Val says as she walks to the lockers. She sits on the bench and downs half a bottle of water.  
“We can’t just pretend like there isn’t this huge thing looming over us,” Thor says.  
“Can’t we?” Val asks as she stands and finishes her water.  
“No,” Thor insists. “We can find something— a loophole maybe.”  
“Would you just drop it?” Val sighs.  
“No.”  
Val rolls her eyes and sits back down on the bench. Thor sits beside her. “I won’t stop till you at least try something.”  
“What do you suggest?”  
“Some of the old gods are still alive, we could petition them.”  
“And why would they do anything for me?”  
“Because you’re a Valkyrie.”  
“Not anymore.”  
“Look,” Thor sighs. “The least we can do is try. Please.”  
Val exhales deeply and shakes her head. “My fate is already sealed.”  
“You and I both know that’s now true. Why are you being so stubborn?”  
“Because I don’t want to lose you again!”  
Thor’s eyebrows furrow in confusion. “What are you talking about?”  
“Hela was very explicit...if I try to find a loophole or a way out of our deal, she takes you back to Valhalla.”  
Thor looks down at his hands in contemplation. “Why didn’t you tell me that?”  
“Because I didn’t know you’d be so adamant on getting me out of this. Forgive me if I didn’t think out all the little details while trying to bring you back to life.”  
“You know I’m not giving up on this,” Thor tells him.  
“You don’t have a choice,” Val says as she stands up. “It’s set in stone now, stop trying to mess with fate.” She turns to leave and Thor scoffs.  
“That’s quite hypocritical.”  
Val turns and glares at him. “What?”  
“You messed with fate when you brought me back to life. I was supposed to die, but you just couldn’t take it-”  
“We both know that’s not true!” Val spits back. “I was trying to do a good thing—to be a good person for once, then maybe my sins would be atoned for.”  
“So you admit that bringing me back was for selfish reasons?”  
Valkyrie huffs in defiance. “I was trying to save Bruce from a lifetime of misery. And yes, maybe it was a little selfish too, but forgive me if I was grieving my best friend!”  
Thor sinks back. “I-I’m sorry.”  
Valkyrie clenches her jaw. “Me, too.” She turns without another word, hoping Thor would drop the whole thing. 

 

Bruce looked up from his work when he heard a soft knock at the door. Thor stood there, a sheepish look on his face.  
“Hey,” Bruce says with a smile. “Come in.”  
Thor pushes himself off the doorframe and walks into the lab.  
“What’s up?” Bruce asks as Thor stands beside him.  
“Nothing,” Thor shrugs. “I just missed you.”  
Bruce looks up at Thor and smiles. “What’s really up?”  
“Nothing,” Thor insists. He leans forward and kisses Bruce before Bruce can ask anymore questions. “It’s getting late, you want to come to bed?” Thor asks when they part. Bruce chews his lip and looks wearily at his work. He’d promised himself he would start putting Thor before his work.  
“Yeah.” He nods his head and hops off of his stool. He takes hold of Thor’s hand and smiles up at him. Thor gives him a small, forced smile. Bruce elects to wait till they’re in their room to ask Thor what’s going on. 

 

Bruce settles into the bed and picks up a book, watching Thor from the corner of his eye. He was taking off his training armor, totally unaware of Bruce’s eyes on him. When he takes off his undershirt, Bruce crawls off the bed and walks towards Thor, wrapping his arms around his waist.  
Thor smiles and places his hand on Bruce’s arm. Bruce stands on his toes and presses his lips to Thor’s shoulder blade. Tingles run from that spot all the way to Thor’s toes. He grips Bruce’s arm a little tighter and lets his head lull back.  
“Bruce…” his voice his breathy and low.  
“Hmm?” Bruce hums in response, kissing that spot again. His right hand trails down and stops just above Thor’s waistband. Thor holds onto Bruce’s forearm, leaning back against Bruce’s chest. He lets himself relax against Bruce, the stress of recent events melting away with Bruce’s touch. 

 

Hours later Thor lies, staring up at the ceiling, Bruce tucked against his chest. Bruce trails patterns on Thor’s chest aimlessly. He looks up at Thor, a gentle look in his eyes.  
“Hey,” he says, placing his hand flat on Thor’s chest. “Can you be honest with me?”  
Thor nods his head slowly. “Of course.”  
“What’s going on with you? Ever since you came back you seem...different. I’m worried something might’ve changed in you when you were brought back.”  
Thor reaches down and smoothes out Bruce’s hair. “Nothing happened to me, I’m okay.”  
“Really? Because you’ve been acting strange and secretive lately.”  
“Bruce, I swear I’m alright.”  
“Is this about Valkyrie?”  
Thor fights to keep emotion from showing on his face. “What do you mean?”  
“Before she went to Valhalla, she told me she’d have to make a deal for you, but when I asked her about it she said she didn’t make any deal. I find it really hard to believe Hela would let you go just like that.”  
“Bruce, don’t worry yourself over this.”  
“If you’re in danger I think I deserve to know. I would tell you if our roles were reversed.”  
Thor sighs. “I’m not in danger.”  
“Then what are you keeping from me? I’m not asking for much, just honesty.”  
Thor knew he deserved to know the truth. “Alright, but you have to promise to not take blame for it.”  
“Okay.” Bruce nods his head. Thor sits up and Bruce moves to face him.  
“When Valkyrie went to Valhalla, she did make a deal with Hela, a binding one.”  
“Well, what was it?” Bruce asks.  
“When Valkyrie dies, her soul is sworn to do Hela’s bidding for eternity.”  
“What?” Bruce demands. “We have to help her.”  
Thor exhales deeply and shakes his head. “If she tries to get out of the deal, Hela takes me back.”  
Bruce’s shoulders slump in defeat. “We can’t let that happen to her.”  
“I know. I’ll find a way, but I don’t want either of you involved.”  
“No way.” Bruce shakes his head in defiance. “It’s my fault she made that deal, I’m helping.”  
Thor looks up at Bruce in defeat. “I knew you would blame yourself, that’s why I didn’t want to tell you.”  
“I don’t-” Bruce sighs and takes a second to collect his thoughts. “I’m so glad you’re back, and I would’ve made the same deal Val did to get you back. I know she would do the same for me, so I want to help.”  
“It’s too dangerous,” Thor argues.  
“I’ve been through alien invasions and robot takeovers, I’ll be fine.”  
Thor smiles half-heartedly and wraps his arms around Bruce. “Alright, but we can’t involve her in this. Just us.”  
“Ok.” Bruce agrees. “Just us.”

Thunk!  
Thor jumps in his seat when Bruce loudly sets down a stack of books in front of him.  
“Shh!” the librarian scolds. Bruce ignores him and sits down across from Thor.  
“This is everything I could find on Norse gods.”  
“I already told you, I know everything there is to know,” Thor says.  
“And while I believe you,” Bruce says as he flips open a book. “I just want to be sure we’re thorough.”  
Thor grunts in response and shuts the book he’d been reading.  
“There’s nothing here that can help us.”  
“Just keep looking,” Bruce says distractedly. “There has to be something.”  
Thor huffs in annoyance and grabs another thick book to flip through. 

 

Ten minutes later, Thor slams the book shut.  
“Shh!” the librarian shushes him. Thor glares at him.  
“There’s nothing!” he whisper-yells. Bruce doesn’t look up from his book. “Try another one.”  
Thor groans and grabs another book. 

 

“I found it!” Bruce yells.  
“Shhhh!”  
Bruce ignores the librarian and looks up excitedly at Thor. “I found it,” he repeats.  
“What is it?” Thor asks. Bruce turns his book so Thor can see.  
“Forseti, the god of justice.”  
Thor reads over the page. “My father would tell me tales of Forseti when I was young.”  
“Do you think it could work?”  
“I don’t know,” Thor mutters as he reads over the page. “It’s well worth trying.”  
“So how do we do this? Trap him?”  
“No.” Thor shakes his head. “Forseti is a judge, he decides the outcome of disputes. We have to petition him to hear our case. We bring forth the facts and he decides what happens.”  
“So Valkyries fate rests in this guy’s hands?”  
Thor sighs and shrugs. “It’s the best choice we have.”  
“Is he by any chance a fair judge?” Bruce asks hopefully.  
“He’s an impartial judge. He hears the facts and that’s all he cares about.”  
Bruce’s eyebrows knit together with worry. “Ok. How do we summon him?” 

 

Bruce looks around the room. It was lit only by the numerous candles surrounding them in a circle.  
“So...this is how we summon a god? Seems a little pop culture-ish.”  
Thor sits cross-legged across from Bruce.  
“We don’t summon Forseti, we request his presence,” Thor corrects.  
“Ok, um...what exactly do we do? Pray?”  
“Close your eyes,” Thor instructs. Bruce obeys, and Thor does the same. “Open your mind, but stay focused on one thing; Forseti.”  
Bruce clears his mind of all things besides the picture of Forseti he’d seen in the book.  
“Now, take my hands.”  
Bruce reaches forward blindly till he feels Thor’s hands. He takes them and holds onto them tightly.  
“This is so we can see and experience the same things,” Thor tells him. “In order for this to work, we need to focus on the same thing and nothing else. And we must keep completely silent.”  
Bruce keeps the picture of Forseti foremost in his mind. He clears out all the stress and anything else fogging up his head.  
He inhales deeply, feeling the air enter his lungs, and leave when he exhales. He does this again, his whole body feeling lighter as he exhales. When he inhales a third time, he can feel Thor inhale too, as if somehow they’re connected.  
They exhale at the same time, and Bruce can feel an energy flowing between them. Their breathing becomes synced, inhaling and exhaling in perfect time with each other.  
A warmth begins bubbling up in Bruce. It starts in his hands and travels slowly through his whole body, enveloping him in a soft glow. He can hear wind, but he doesn’t open his eyes. It begins to whistle quietly, blowing out the candles, all light disappearing from the room. Bruce still doesn’t open his eyes.  
The same energy he’d felt earlier returns, stronger this time. He’s hit with a blast of it, but it doesn’t knock him over, instead he feels as if it’s making him float.  
A flash of light inside his eyelids breaks his focus on the picture of Forseti. The picture is now replaced with a moving image. A tall man with a glowing aura about him. The man reaches out, a warm smile on his lips. Bruce is overcome with a feeling of contentment. His mouth falls open in a quiet gasp.  
And just as it had appeared, the image disappeared, the warm feeling with it. Bruce opened his eyes and stared back at Thor.  
“What just happened?” he asks breathlessly.  
“Forseti welcomed us,” Thor says, his voice low and awestruck. “Tomorrow night we will call on him again, and if he deems us worthy he’ll appear and hear our case.”  
Bruce grins and throws his arms around Thor’s neck. “We’re gonna win this thing.”

 

Later that night, when they’re lying in bed, Bruce turns to face Thor.  
“Are you awake?” he asks.  
No answer.  
“Thor?” Bruce pokes at Thor’s arm till Thor stirs. “Oh, good, you’re awake.”  
Thor mumbles something incoherent and rubs a fist over his eye.  
“Bruce, what is it?”  
“I just...I don’t exactly know how to say this…”  
Thor reaches over and takes Bruce’s hand in his. “What is it, darling?”  
“When we were doing that meditation thing, I felt something...something I’ve never felt before.”  
“It was the energy of Forseti,” Thor explains.  
“No, it was something else,” Bruce insists. “Something between us. A-a connection or something. But it was a deeper connection than I’ve ever felt.”  
Thor moves closer, eyes locking with Bruce’s. He places his hand on Bruce’s chest and the same warmth Bruce had felt earlier returned. A sense of peace came with it.  
“What was that?” he asks in an awestruck whisper.  
“What we did—calling on a god, that was very intimate. That sort of thing builds a certain, unbreakable bond between two people. It’ll only become stronger with time.”  
Bruce breathes out in wonder. “Holy shit.”  
Thor smiles softly and presses a kiss to Bruce’s lips. Bruce couldn’t quite describe the feeling, but it was the best he’d felt in...maybe forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys liked the new chapter! Updates will be every 3-4 days. And as always, comments and kudos are appreciated!


	3. Strength

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor and Bruce discover the strength of their bond and set out on a dangerous journey.

Bruce woke the next morning with a smile on his face. He rolled over to find Thor still sleeping, snoring lightly. He pressed a gentle kiss to Thor’s forehead and carefully got out of bed, making sure not to wake Thor.  
Quietly, he pulled on some clothes and made his way to the compounds kitchen.

When he got there, Valkyrie and Maria Hill were there, laughing over something Bruce had obviously missed. They noticed him and straightened up.  
“Morning,” Bruce smiles at them.  
“Why are you so chipper?” Val asks skeptically, sipping on her coffee.  
“No reason,” Bruce shrugs. He heads for the fridge and retrieves the ingredients for pancakes.  
“Well, stop, It’s annoying,” Val tells him. Bruce just laughs and he can hear Val swear under her breath, he guessed Maria had elbowed her for being rude.  
“Seriously though, you’re in a weirdly good mood,” Val says. Bruce cracks an egg into a bowl and shrugs.  
“I have a lot to be happy about.”  
“Wow, you definitely got laid last night,” Val mutters. Maria laughs at that, and Bruce’s cheeks turn pink. “Is Thor awake?” Val asks as she stands from her seat and puts her mug in the sink.  
“Not yet,” Bruce answers. “I thought I’d let him sleep a little longer.”  
“Good.” Val nods. “He needs it,”  
Bruce simply nods in agreement and goes back to his task of making pancakes.  
Val and Maria leave to go train, and Bruce finishes making breakfast. Just as he’s piling pancakes onto a plate, he gets a strange feeling in his gut, neither bad nor good, just a feeling. And for some reason, it’s as if he can feel Thor waking up.  
“What the hell?” he mutters to himself. He quickly finishes preparing breakfast and heads back to his bedroom.

 

Bruce opens the door and finds Thor stretching awake.  
“Hey,” Bruce smiles as he closes the door behind him.  
“Morning.” Thor returns the smile. Bruce walks carefully to the bed and sets the tray on Thor’s lap.  
“What’s this?” Thor asks.  
“Breakfast,” Bruce answers simply.  
“You didn’t have to do that,” Thor tells him. Bruce presses a kiss to his cheek.  
“I know.”  
Thor smiles sweetly and begins cutting into his food.  
“So, something weird happened a few minutes ago,” Bruce says, sitting across from Thor.  
“What happened?” Thor inquires.  
“I felt you wake up.”  
Thor looks up, eyebrows raised.  
“I know it sounds crazy, but I got this feeling, and I just knew.”  
“It doesn’t sound crazy,” Thor assures him. “It’s the bond.”  
“See, I’m having a little trouble understanding this whole ‘bond’ thing.”  
Thor smiles and sets his fork down. “It happens when two souls are linked, if you will. It can happen to more than two people, too, sometimes. It can even happen to people with a totally platonic relationship.”  
That only makes Bruce’s eyebrows furrow deeper. “Is it like...soulmates?”  
Thor chuckles. “If you want to put it like that. It’s more than just our souls, though, our entire bodies are connected. Emotions grow stronger, good and bad ones. We’ll start to sense the others needs and pain and joy.”  
“Wow, that’s a lot,” Bruce says with a quiet laugh.  
“If you don’t want this we can break the bond. I don’t want you doing anything you’re not comfortable with.”  
Bruce looks up at Thor with a grateful smile. “I think I like it. When you touched my chest last night I was overcome with this amazing sense of peace and belonging. I just wanted to understand it a little better.”  
“I understand.” Thor nods. “If you ever have questions about it come to me.”  
Bruce smiles, because how in the hell did he get this lucky? “I will.”  
“Would you like to see something?” Thor asks with a mischievous glint in his eyes.  
“Sure…” Bruce says reluctantly. Thor sets the tray aside and holds out both his hands. Bruce takes them.  
“Close your eyes,” Thor tells him. Bruce does. After a second, he feels that same warmth from last night flowing through him. An electric energy flows from Thor’s hands to his, startling him a little.  
“Just concentrate,” Thor tells him. Bruce exhales and concentrates on the energetic feeling.  
“Now open your eyes.”  
Bruce opens his eyes and falls backwards, catching himself with one hand. He holds up the other hand as little sparks of electricity dance in his palm.  
“What the hell?”  
“Energy transfer,” Thor says as if it’s the simplest thing in the world. “I gave just a small portion of my power to you.”  
“You can do that?” Bruce asks incredulously.  
“Only with the bond.”  
“That’s...amazing,” Bruce breathes out.  
“If we practice we can do it telepathically. We won’t even have to be in the same room.”  
“You trust me with your power?”  
“Of course I do,” Thor says with a small smile. “Besides, you can only access my power if I give consent.”  
The sparks in Bruce’s palm die.  
“See?” Thor grins and Bruce laughs. “There’s many more things we can do, but I don’t want to overwhelm you, we’ll save that for another day,” Thor says, a warm smile on his lips. Bruce leans forward and kisses Thor, holding his face in his hands.  
“You’re amazing,” he tells Thor when he pulls away. “Truly amazing.”

 

The day went on as most did. Thor went and trained, and Bruce secluded himself in his lab. Well, until Tony barged in with smoking armor.  
“What’d you do, Tony?” Bruce asks, barely even looking up from his work.  
“Suit wasn’t quite ready,” Tony explains as he steps out of it. “Just needs a few slight moderations. Genius is never right on the first try, afterall.”  
Bruce just chuckles to himself.  
“So, how’s the Mr?” Tony asks as he tinkers with his suit.  
“Thor’s fine,” Bruce answers with a small smile.  
“What’s that smile mean, Banner?” Tony teases. Bruce ducks his head down to hide his smile. “We’re just… in a really good place right now.”  
“I bet,” Tony smirks. “Every night since he’s been back I’ve felt the walls shaking. I’m actually in fear of a natural disaster happening because you two are banging like bunnies.”  
Bruce’s face burns red with embarrassment. “Are you serious?”  
“Just telling it how it is,” Tony shrugs. Bruce laughs, mostly from embarrassment.  
“I’m happy for you, though. If anyone deserves happiness, it’s you.”  
Bruce smiles fondly at Tony. “Thanks, Tony.”  
Tony just smiles and returns to fixing his suit.

They work in comfortable silence for awhile, each doing their own thing. After awhile, Tony steps back from his suit.  
“I think I got it.”  
Bruce looks up. The suit didn’t look different, but he knew Tony had changed something to get it to work.  
“FRIDAY, what time is it?” Tony asks.  
“It’s currently 11:32 pm, with a temperature of 33 degrees fahrenheit,” FRIDAY answers.  
“Shit!” Bruce exclaims. “Is that really the time?”  
“Yes, Dr. Banner,” FRIDAY chirps.  
“Um, I need to go,” Bruce says, hastily cleaning up his mess.  
“What’s the hurry, doc?” Tony asks.  
“I just have something to do.” Bruce straightens his glasses nervously.  
“Do I wanna know?”  
“It’s not a sex thing.” Bruce rolls his eyes and Tony grins.  
“Just had to make sure.”  
Bruce laughs. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Tony.”  
Tony waves at him, distracted by his new suit. Bruce rushes to his and Thor’s bedroom, hoping Thor wasn’t waiting on him.

 

When he got there, Thor was lighting the last candle in the circle. He looks up when Bruce closes the door.  
“I was just about to come find you.”  
“Sorry, I lost track of time,” Bruce apologizes. Thor smiles and steps over the candles, greeting Bruce with a quick kiss.  
“It’s alright, we’ve got time.” He takes Bruce’s hand and guides him to the center of the circle. They sit down across from each other, hands intertwined.  
“We’re going to do what we did last night, but it’s going to be a little different.”  
“How?” Bruce asks.  
“If Forseti has deemed us worthy, he’ll manifest himself before us, and we can bring forth our case.”  
“Ok, sounds easy enough.” Bruce nods. The whole idea of summoning a god didn’t seem easy, but Bruce was invested.  
“One more thing.”  
“What?”  
“You can’t lie to him. Whatever he asks, you must tell him the truth. If you lie, our whole case is dismissed.”  
Bruce nods his head quickly. “Ok, I can do that.”  
“Alright, close your eyes and focus.”  
Bruce closes his eyes, conjuring the image of Forseti from last night.  
It only took a few seconds for Bruce to feel energy flowing through him. A gentle breeze blew out the candles, and Bruce got an odd feeling, as if he was being watched.  
“Thor Odinson,” a booming voice says. Bruce jumps, his eyes flying open. In front of him stood a tall, lean figure clothed in all white robes and bathed in a golden glow.  
Thor looks up at the man.  
“Forseti,” he greets. “It’s an honor.”  
Forseti skips the pleasantries. “Why have you called on me?”  
“We’d like to humbly request you hear our case,” Thor tells him.  
Bruce was in awe. He was glad Thor was doing the talking, because he wasn’t sure he was capable.  
“And what makes you think you’re worthy of my time?”  
“You’re here, aren’t you?”  
Bruce’s eyebrows raise and he looks to Thor with surprise.  
“You’ve got quite the nerve, boy.”  
Thor bows his head.  
“I’ve heard of you, Thor Odinson.”  
Thor looks up again.  
“Ruler of Asgard. You saved your people from Hela’s wrath and brought them to safety. You’ve lost much in a few short years.”  
Thor looks down solemnly.  
“But you…” Forseti looks to Bruce. “I don’t know you. You’re mortal, but there’s some kind of force protecting you from harm.”  
“I was in an accident and I acquired...superhuman powers.”  
Forseti eyes him for a moment. “There’s also something else...a very powerful energy between both of you. Tell me,” he says, addressing Bruce directly. “what is your relation to Thor?”  
Bruce glances at Thor in panic.  
“We’re um...he’s… he’s my boyfriend.”  
“Boyfriend?” Forseti says the work as if it’s foreign to him.  
“Lover,” Bruce corrects himself, and Forseti’s expression changes to that of compassion.  
“Oh, little one, I know Midgardians are not always understanding, but I assure you, you need not fear in my presence.”  
Bruce smiles gratefully. “Thank you.”  
“Now, what’s this case you wish me to hear?”  
Thor straightens up a little.  
“Our friend, Brunnhilde, made an unfair deal with Hela, we’d like to get her out of it.”  
Forseti doesn’t say anything for a minute. Bruce begins to get antsy.  
Forseti finally speaks up. “Brunhilde… is that the famous Valkyrie?”  
“Yes.” Thor nods his head lightly.  
“I’ve heard tales of her, I’d very much like to meet her.”  
Thor grins. “Excellent!”  
“Call on me again in 48 hours, with both parties of the deal present, and we will begin the trial.” And with that, Forseti disappears.  
“Did he just…?”  
“We have to get Hela,” Thor says grimly.  
“How the hell are we supposed to do that?” Bruce scoffs.  
“Trickery. If living with Loki for years taught me anything, it’s to always have a few tricks up your sleeve.”  
“So we go to Valhalla?”  
“I go to Valhalla,” Thor corrects.  
“No way are you going alone.” Bruce shakes his head firmly.  
“Bruce, you can’t-”  
“I don’t want to hear it. We go first thing tomorrow morning.”  
Thor keeps his mouth shut. He knew Bruce could handle himself, and who better to go on a dangerous trip than your boyfriend?

 

The nights events transpired as they had the night before.  
Thor slept soundly, while Bruce tossed and turned with his thoughts. He sighed and turned to face Thor, poking at his belly.  
“Thor.”  
Thor doesn’t move. Bruce pokes him harder and Thor stirs. “Thor, are you awake?”  
“I am now,” Thor grumbles. “What is it?”  
“I can’t sleep,” Bruce tells him.  
“Well, I can,” Thor says, pulling the comforter up to his shoulders.  
“Just talk to me?” Bruce asks. Thor opens his eyes.  
“What’s bothering you?”  
“I don’t know,” Bruce shrugs lightly. “I was just thinking about what Forseti said earlier.”  
“Which part?”  
Bruce shuffles closer to Thor, eyes dropping.  
“When he said I didn’t need to be afraid.”  
Thor’s face softens. “You don’t. I know humans have a difficult time accepting love sometimes, but it wasn’t like that on Asgard. It shouldn’t be like that anywhere.”  
Bruce chews his lip. “I guess it just got me thinking about my dad.”  
Thor sighs. “Bruce, don’t do that to yourself.”  
“I know I shouldn’t-”  
“That’s right,” Thor says. “What he did to you and your mother was disgusting, and none of it was your fault.”  
“He just got in my head, and after all these years he’s still there. All that internalized shit is just fucking suffocating.”  
Thor’s forehead creases. Bruce had told him a little about his dad, but Thor could tell he hated talking about it.  
“I can swear you’ll never have to live like that again, and if anyone treats you like that, I’ll make sure they never speak again.”  
Bruce laughs quietly and drapes his arm over Thor’s waist.  
“I love you.”  
Thor smiles softly, leaning in to kiss Bruce’s forehead. “I love you, too, sweetheart.”

 

Bruce sits on the edge of the bed, leaning down to tie his shoes. He sits up and turns to look at Thor, who was pulling on a shirt, his back to Bruce.  
Bruce stands and walks up to Thor, loosely wrapping his arms around Thor’s wasit.  
“Hey,” Thor says, turning in Bruce’s arms to face him. He leans down to Bruce’s height and kisses him. “You’re worried. I can feel it.”  
Bruce looks up at Thor with a creased brow.  
“That’s not fair.”  
“Bruce…”  
“Of course I’m worried. Rightfully so.”  
“I promise we’ll make it. There hasn’t been a foe we’ve faced that we haven’t defeated.”  
“What if something happens? What if Hela just keeps you in Valhalla?”  
Thor rubs his hands up and down Bruce’s arms soothingly. “As long as we’re together, we can fix this.”  
“I know that’s supposed to be comforting, but it’s not really helping my nerves,” Bruce says.  
“No, I mean we have to stay together. Valhalla can be tricky to navigate, especially for mortals. But if we stick together we can get through it.”  
“That’s really not helping my nerves.”  
Thor’s expression softens. “Just trust me.”  
“I do. Of course I trust you.”  
Thor takes Bruce’s hand and leads him to sit on the floor.  
“Valkyrie told me she prayed to Hela, I don’t imagine your sister will be too keen on letting you in,” Bruce says wearily.  
“Don’t worry.” Thor smiles mischievously. “I know a back door.” He takes Bruce’s other hand. “Just close your eyes and trust me.”  
Bruce inhales deeply and closes his eyes.  
Nothing happens. At least, Bruce doesn’t think anything happens.  
“Open your eyes.” Thor tells him. Bruce does, and when he does, he’s taken aback. Instead of sitting on their bedroom floor, he’s in the middle of a large room, walls lined in stone. The place was dark and cold, sending a shiver up Bruce’s spine.  
“This is Valhalla? It’s a little...gloomier than I’d imagined.”  
Thor stands and helps Bruce up. “This is Hela’s doing. Before her reign here it was beautiful.”  
“So she got mad at dad and ruined the afterlife for everyone?”  
“Pretty much.”  
“Sounds like Hela.” Bruce nods and looks around. He spots a doorway. “Where do we go from here?”  
“Hela’s throne room,” Thor answers, already heading for the door. Bruce follows suit.  
They venture into the hallway together. It’s just as bad as the room. Cobwebs lined the walls, darkness pouring from every crack and crevice, and Bruce could swear he heard whispers coming from nowhere in particular.  
He stuck close to Thor. “Ok, how do we find the throne room?” he asks.  
“I was here before, remember? I know my way around,” Thor says, reaching for Bruce’s hand. “Just stay close.”  
Bruce looks around wearily. “Yeah, you don’t have to worry about that.”

They walk down what seems like an endless hallway. The further they go, the louder the whispers get.  
“Do you hear that?” Bruce asks.  
“Hear what?” Thor asks.  
“Nothing.”  
Bruce looks around for the source of the whispers, but he can’t find anything.  
“It’s just around this corner,” Thor tells him. They round the corner and find two doors. One on the left and one on the right. Whispers seep out of the cracks in the door on the right. Bruce stares at it,an invisible force seems to pull him towards it.  
“No, it’s this one,” Thor says, tugging Bruce towards the room on the left. Bruce drops Thor’s hand and goes for the door on the right, pushing it open. “Bruce! No!”  
The door closes behind Bruce before he can turn back. He looks forward, freezing in place, paralyzed by fear.  
The scene in front of him was familiar. It was a memory from his childhood, a long surpressed one.  
This isn’t real, he tells himself, closing his eyes.  
The sound of a punch being landed forced his eyes open.  
His father was standing over his mother, who had a fresh cut on her lip. One of his fathers hands was balled into a fist while the other held a bottle of Jack Daniels. His mother was shaking with fear, pleading with him to stop.  
He hits her again, and Bruce’s hands ball into fists. Anger boiled in his chest, and he could feel Hulk aching to get out and tear his father to shreds. Bruce forces Hulk back down, but the anger is still there.  
His father takes a long swing of Jack Daniels before throwing the bottle againt the wall. His mother flinches and whimpers. He raises his fist to hit her again.  
“Stop it!”  
Bruce looks over to the doorway in his memory. A little boy, no older than ten was standing there, a wooden bat in his hands. “Stop hurting her!” the boy demands.  
“No,” Bruce whispers.  
“Bruce, go to your room,” his mother tells the boy, her voice shaky.  
“Boy, what the hell do you think you’re doing?” Bruce’s father demands. He forgets about Bruce’s mother and goes for the kid, forcefully pulling the bat from his hands and shoving him againt a wall.  
“Stop it!” Bruce yells, though he knows they can’t see or hear him.  
His father gets in the little boys face, sneering at him. “If you ever threaten me again, I swear I’ll kill you!”  
The boy closes his eyes as tears stream down his face. Bruce’s father shoves the boy to the floor and stomps out. The little boy scrambles across the floor to his mother, hugging her tightly.  
“Mom, are you ok?” the boy asks.  
“Don’t you ever do that again, Bruce,” his mother scolds him.  
“I’m sorry, I didn’t want you to get hurt,” the boy cries. His mother holds his head againt her chest. “Don’t you worry about me, alright? I’m gonna be just fine.”  
Bruce stands there as the memory disappears, silent tears streaming down his cheeks. A hand grips his shoulder and he jumps, turning to see Thor.  
“Bruce…” Thor didn’t know what to say. Bruce looked up at him, teary eyed and afraid. Before Thor could say anything, Bruce stumbles forward. Thor manages to catch him before he falls to the floor.  
“Oh god,” Bruce groans. He pushes Thor out of the way as he hunches over and throws up.  
“Bruce!” Thor places a hand on Bruce’s back and gently urges him away from the mess on the floor.  
He pulls Bruce into a hug, pressing a kiss to his temple. Bruce would’ve collapsed had it not been for Thor holding him.  
“How did you get in?” Bruce asks, his voice just above a whisper.  
“It wasn’t locked,” Thor answers. “I think Hela wanted me to see.”  
Bruce shivers and he buries his face in Thor’s shirt. “I’m really sorry you had to see that. All of that.”  
Thor hugs Bruce closer. “Don’t apologize, I’m just sorry you had to go through that.”  
“Can we just go? Finish this and head home?”  
Thor releases his hold on Bruce. “Of course.”  
Bruce knew they’d have to talk about it later, but right now he just wanted to get this over with.  
They leave the room in silence, neither quite sure what to say.  
Across the hallway is the door to the throne room. Thor grips the handle and looks down at Bruce.  
“Are you ready?”  
Bruce shakes his head. “No. Let’s do this.”  
Thor smiles as he pushes the door open. It makes a loud clang that causes Bruce to jump. He follows Thor inside, looking around wearily.  
The room looked like the rest of Valhalla. Dark, gloomy, and freezing cold. In the front of the room stood two huge, golden throne, now wrapped in black vines and moss. One of the thrones was occupied by Hela.  
She sneered down at them.  
“Brother, back so soon?” she asks humorously. “And you even brought your pet.”  
Thor looks down at Bruce then back up to Hela.  
“Sister, we’ve come to bring forth a proposal,” Thor tells her. Hela raises her eyebrows and sits up straighter.  
“You have two minutes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all liked the new chapter! As always, comments and kudos are greatly appreciated


	4. Haunted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Valkyrie thinks about going back on her deal with Hela. Bruce has a meaningful conversation with her, and later reveals his childhood trauma to Thor. Their bond grows even stronger.  
> (tw: this chapter talks kind of in depth about Bruce’s past (canon comics) so if you’re triggered in any way by that I would suggest skipping over that part)

“You have two minutes.”  
“We want you to release Brunhilde of the deal she made with you,” Thor says firmly.  
Hela laughs out loud. “Are you actually being serious? She made that deal, and I never break a deal.”  
“She made a stupid deal,” Thor argues.  
“I agree. But it’s a deal nonetheless.”  
“We’re not leaving till you release her.”  
Hela stands from her throne, staring down at them menacingly. She steps down to the main floor. “I have eternity to wait out your little fit, your friend, unfortunately, only has till the end of her sad life.”  
Thor’s lip twitches as Hela continues walking towards them slowly.  
Bruce nudges Thor. “Do something,” he quietly urges. Thor ignores him, but Bruce knew he had something planned.  
“What? No family discount? I am your brother, after all.”  
Hela sneers at that. “What makes you think I would help you? You killed me!”  
“Technically, Surtur killed you, so if you have any grievances, take them to him.”  
That only seems to feed the fire of Hela’s anger. She holds her hand out and a large, sleek black sword appears in her hand.  
“Oh, you want to duel?” Thor asks with a cocky smirk. Hela runs at him, screaming a battle cry. Thor doesn’t move and Bruce looks up at him. He could sense Thor had something up his sleeve, but Hela was getting really close.  
Just as Hela raises her sword to strike Thor, he raises his hand, pushing it towards Hela. She freezes, sword still in the air. Thor and Bruce back up from her in case the spell breaks. Hela’s eyes move around frantically, but besides that she’s unmoving.  
“What did you do?” Bruce asks in awe.  
“Paralyzing spell. Loki taught me a few things.”  
Bruce laughs and clings to Thor’s arm.  
“You did it!”  
Thor smiles at Bruce’s glee. “Yes, we did.”  
A gentle smile graces Bruce’s lips. He looks in Thor’s eyes, a sense of triumph comes over him. He takes Thor’s hand in his. “Let’s go home.” 

 

“Should we unfreeze her?” Bruce asks as he looks at Hela through the glass. “There’s no way she’s getting out of this cell.”  
Thor chews his lips. “I suppose it couldn’t do any harm.” He raises his hand and Hela unfreezes. She immediately starts yelling threats at the both of them.  
Bruce looks up at Thor, and they turn their backs on Hela, leaving her there till tomorrow night.

“I can’t believe we actually pulled that off,” Bruce laughs as he pushes his and Thor’s bedroom door open. Thor grins and grabs Bruce by the waist, turning Bruce so they’re face to face. Bruce stands on his toes and kisses Thor. The adrenaline of capturing Hela was still coursing through their veins, the feeling even stronger due to their bond.  
Thor breathes in deeply as he kisses Bruce, blindly walking them towards the bed. The back of Bruce’s knees hit the bed, and he lets himself fall backwards. He laughs when Thor crawls over him, bracketing Bruce’s hips with both his knees. Bruce reaches up and pulls Thor into another searing kiss, keeping his hands on either side of Thor’s face.  
Thor scatters kisses all over Bruce’s face and neck, pouring his entire being into showing Bruce just how much he loved him. But Bruce didn’t need to be shown, he knew, he could feel it radiating from Thor, seeping from his every pore; it was overwhelming, nearly bringing Bruce to tears. He clung to Thor, pressing fingers into smooth skin, hoping Thor could feel that all the love he gave Bruce was returned. 

 

Valkyrie laughed as she was pushed against a wall, kisses pressed to her neck. She held onto Maria’s arm and let her head lull back against the wall.  
“I shouldn’t even be here,” Maria mutters against her skin, nipping at her collarbone. “Fury wanted me at SHIELD headquarters.”  
“But this is so much more fun,” Valkyrie says with a smirk. Maria laughs and drags Valkyrie into an empty room. The room had computers and monitors sending live feed from security cameras around the compound.  
Maria pushes Val towards a table, getting her mouth on Val’s neck. Val wraps her legs around Maria’s waist and tilts her head back. Just as her eyes are about to shut, she catches something on one of the monitors. Hela, banging on her cell door.  
“What the hell?” Val says as she gently pushes Maria away and goes to the monitor.  
“What is it?” Maria asks, coming to stand at her side.  
“That stupid bastard.”

 

Valkyrie stands in front of Thor and Bruce’s bedroom door, banging mercilessly.  
“I know you’re in there you bastard, open up!”  
Valkyrie hears Thor and Bruce cursing and shuffling around.  
When the door opens, Thor stands there in only a pair of sweatpants. His hair is in disarray and there are hickeys littering his chest.  
“Were you two fucking?” Valkyries face contorts in disgust.  
“Jesus!” She hears Bruce say from inside the room. Thor places his hand on the doorframe and stares down at her, obviously annoyed.  
“What do you need?” he asks.  
“What I need is for you to tell me why the fuck Hela is in a cell in the compound,” Valkyrie says firmly, placing her hands on her hips.  
Thor’s face falls. “Shit.”  
“Yeah, shit. What the fuck are you thinking?”  
“Just trust me, I have a plan.”  
“No! Send her back to Valhalla and drop this ridiculous notion that you can help me!”  
“I can! You just have to trust me.”  
Valkyrie shakes her head. “No. You’re not going back there, I won’t allow it.”  
Thor’s mouth turns down. “I understand you don’t want me to die again, but I can’t sit back and let this happen.”  
“I’m not going along with whatever stupid plan you have. For yours and Bruce’s sake, drop it.” Valkyrie leaves before Thor can get in another word. He looks down in defeat, sighing heavily. A hand gently touches his shoulder, and he turns.  
“We’re still doing this,” he says.  
“We can’t if Valkyrie doesn’t show up tomorrow night,” Bruce reminds him. Thor just shakes his head.  
“I’ll talk to her tomorrow, she might have a clearer head by then.”  
Bruce smiles solemnly. “Let’s just go to bed, ok?”  
Thor nods and lets himself be pulled back to bed and into Bruce’s arms. 

 

Valkyrie knew it was stupid. She knew Hela would get under her skin and in her head, but she needed answers.  
So she walked into the cell block and stood in front of Hela’s cell, arms crossed over her chest.  
Hela looks up at her and smirks.  
“Let me guess, you’ve come to make another deal.”  
“Why are you here? Why did Thor bring you here?” Valkyrie asks.  
Hela raises her eyebrows. “He didn’t tell you?”  
Valkyrie clenches her jaw. “Well, you’re not the only one, he didn’t tell me a thing.”  
“Great.” Valkyrie rolls her eyes and turns to leave.  
“Wait.”  
Valkyrie turns back, narrowing her eyes at Hela.  
“What?”  
“Are you sure you want to lose your soul for that man?”  
“I haven’t got a choice now, have I?” Valkyrie shrugs.  
“Well…” Hela drawls. “I might be willing to go back on our deal.”  
“On what condition?” Valkyrie asks skeptically.  
“We could just pretend you never came to me and we never struck a deal.”  
“And what would happen then?”  
“I would release you from our contract and Thor would go back to Valhalla.”  
Valkyrie scoffs. “Do you really think I’d do that?”  
“Why not?” Hela asks. “It’s not like he’s even grateful to you for saving his life. He’s looking for loopholes to get you out of this, which will only result in his death.”  
Valkyrie chews the inside of her lip. “I’m not going back on my deal. I trust Thor.”  
“You really believe he can find a way out of this?”  
Valkyrie stands firm. “Yes.”  
“Then you’re a fool.”  
“A fool, maybe, but one whose soul won’t be perverted by doing your bidding for eternity.”

 

Thor was up early the next morning. He got dressed quietly, so as to not wake Bruce, and went straight for the training room. 

Val was already there, as he’d predicted. She was wailing on a punching bag like it had just insulted her.  
“You’re going to ruin that thing,” Thor says as he walks across the mat. Val doesn’t look up and Thor sighs. He stands behind the punching bag, holding it in place for her.  
“I’m sorry for not telling you about Hela.”  
Val lands a particularly hard blow to the bag, rocking Thor back onto his heels. “And I understand you’re angry, but I know this can work.”  
Val stops and finally looks up at Thor.  
“What’s your plan?” she asks.  
Thor smiles, glad he’d gotten through at least a little to her.  
“Bruce and I petitioned Forseti to hear your case. If he rules in your favor your soul will be released from Hela’s contract and I’ll remain on earth. We’ll both be safe.”  
Val unstraps her boxing gloves and tosses them on the mat.  
“You’re crazy.”  
“Val-”  
“I’m in.”  
Thor stops short. “What?”  
“I’m in,” Val repeats. “I want to see the look on her face when she realizes we’ve won over her again.”  
Thor’s mouth turns up into a wide grin. “I knew you’d come around!”  
“There’s one more thing I want before I agree to this,” Val says, her tone serious.  
“Anything,” Thor says.  
“When we win, I want to kill Hela, completely and permanently. No Valhalla for her, just nonexistence.”  
“Valkyrie, that’s impossible, she’s a god, you can’t just erase her.”  
Valkyrie shrugs. “Then find a way, or I’m out.”  
“We’re supposed to start the trial tonight.”  
“Well, you’d better figure it out.”  
“Valkyrie, will you just listen to me?” Thor pleads.  
“No! I’ve sacrificed so much for you, I deserve this! I deserve to get revenge for my lost comrades.”  
Thor’s face falls. “I’ll look for a way, but I’m not promising anything. Just tell me you’ll show up tonight.”  
Valkyrie closes her eyes for a second. “I will.”

 

Bruce rubs Thor’s back soothingly as Thor mulls over an old Norse mythology book.  
“You ready for tonight?” Bruce asks. Thor shakes his head with a heavy sigh.  
“Valkyrie’s not going to go along with it if I can’t find a way to destroy Hela once and for all.”  
“Can you blame her?” Bruce rests his chin on Thor’s shoulder. “She murdered all the Valkyrie and then thousands of Asgardians. Val just wants justice.”  
“She wants revenge.”  
“Is that so bad?”  
Thor looks up at Bruce.  
“Think of all the people Hela’s hurt, she won’t be able to hurt anyone else ever again.”  
“I just don’t want revenge to cloud Valkyries judgement.”  
“Don’t worry about her, she’s stronger than the both of us combined.”  
Thor smiles and kisses Bruce. “You’re right. But we still need her here tonight.”  
Bruce presses a gentle kiss to Thor’s cheek. “Let me talk to her.” 

 

Bruce doesn’t find Valkyrie in the training room where he’d expected her to be, instead, he found her in the lab, tinkering with a part of her ship.  
She doesn’t even look up to acknowledge him.  
“Did Thor send you?”  
“No, I wanted to say something to you,” Bruce says, standing across from her at the worktable.  
“If you’re telling me how stubborn I’m being, I’ve heard it enough.”  
“I wanted to say thank you.”  
Valkyrie looks up. “For what?”  
“For what?” Bruce scoffs. “For doing something so selfless, for being there for me at the funeral, for being a good friend. Whatever you want, you deserve it, and I understand wanting to see the person who hurt you gone.”  
Valkyrie looks down to hide her smile. “Thank you, Bruce.”  
“So if you show up tonight or not, I’m on your side, no matter what you decide to do.”  
Valkyrie looks up, a grateful smile on her lips. “Thank you, you’re a good friend.”  
Bruce returns the smile. “Just trying to repay the debt.”  
“You don’t owe me anything, Bruce. I just wanted you to be happy.” Valkyrie goes back to tinkering with her ship part. “If you tell anyone I said any of those things, I’ll make sure you never speak again.”  
Bruce smiles as he turns to leave. He was glad he had a friend as loyal as Valkyrie. 

 

When Bruce returns to his and Thor’s bedroom, Thor’s still reading the same book he was when Bruce left. Bruce sighs and walks to the bed, taking the book from Thor’s hands.  
“Take a break.”  
“But, Valk-”  
“Valkyrie will be fine, trust me.” Bruce sits on the bed and wraps an arm around Thor’s waist. “But you won’t be if you don’t stop obsessing over finding a way to destroy Hela.”  
“Valkyrie won’t come tonight if I don’t.”  
Bruce leans up and kisses Thor’s neck. “How about you trust her. She’ll do the right thing, she always does.”  
Thor lets out a heavy sigh. “Fine, I’ll take a break.” Bruce smiles and presses a kiss to Thor’s shoulder.  
“I was actually hoping to talk to you,” Thor says distractedly as Bruce continues kissing him.  
“Bout what?” Bruce murmurs. Thor reluctantly pulls away so he can look at Bruce.  
“About yesterday...what we saw.”  
Bruce looks down. “I don’t really want to talk about that.”  
Thor chews the inside of his lip, his forehead creasing with worry. “Bruce, I felt the pain inside of you. You were terrified.”  
Bruce backs up till he’s sitting against the headboard. His throat constricts as the painful memories from his childhood that he’d blocked for so long came back to him.  
“Thor-” His voice cracks as tears fall down his face. Thor kneels in front of him, gently wiping his tears away. Bruce shudders, inhaling shakily. “I tried to forget what happened, what I did, but I can’t ever escape it.”  
Thor holds both of Bruce’s hands in his, rubbing his thumb in soothing circles across Bruce’s skin. Bruce wipes at his eyes before continuing. “My dad thought I was a monster when I was a kid. He tried to ignore me for years, and then he started beating me.” Bruce’s body shakes as a silent sob racks his body. “When my mom tried to defend me, he started hitting her, too. For years we endured his abuse, but finally my mom had had enough.” Bruce pauses for a minute to gather himself. “We had a plan to escape in the middle of the night, but he caught us.” Tears well up in Bruce’s eyes as he recounts his harrowing memory. “He-” Bruce’s voice cuts off. He swallows and tries again. “He smashed my moms head on the pavement. He killed her…” Bruce covers his mouth to silence his cries. “He killed her right in front of me.”  
Thor’s chest aches, tears stinging his eyes. The pain he could feel from Bruce was so immense, he wasn’t sure how Bruce had kept it in for this long.  
“He um...he convinced me not to testify against him in the case, and he got away with it.”  
Thor tightens his grip on Bruce’s hand. “But one night he got piss drunk and bragged about how he bullied me into not testifying against him. He was arrested and then put in a mental institution.” Bruce’s lip quivers as he pushes himself to continue. “After fifteen years, he was released into my custody. He started calling me crazy, and a monster. We fought all the time, but nothing ever happened, not until the anniversary of my moms death. We were at her grave, and he attacked me. I pushed him off, and his head hit her gravestone.” Bruce stares at his hands. “I killed him, and after all those years of convincing myself that I wasn’t a monster, I finally realized he was right, I am a monster, because I didn’t feel any remorse for killing my own father.”  
Thor’s heart aches for Bruce. “You’re not a monster. Not then and not now,” Thor says gently. “He deserved to die after what he did to you and your mother. He was the monster, not you.”  
Bruce shakes his head and sniffles. Thor wraps his arms around Bruce’s shaking frame, pressing a kiss to the top of Bruce’s head. “I’m so sorry you had to endure that for so long,” he murmurs into Bruce’s hair. “But you have to believe me when I tell you that you, Bruce Banner, are a brilliant scientist and a noble man, not a monster.”  
Bruce closes his eyes and rests his head on Thor’s chest. His body suddenly feels very warm, and he snuggles closer to Thor. The warmth grows until it’s so uncomfortable he has to pull away. When he does, his eyes grow in horror.  
“What’s happening?” he asks as he stares at the orangish glow emitting from Thor’s chest. Thor looks down at his chest, then back up at Bruce. He smiles and takes Bruce’s hand. An electric current flows up Bruce’s arm to his chest.  
“Look down,” Thor tells him. Bruce does, and his eyes grow even wider. His own chest was glowing the same orangish color as Thor’s. “Woah!”  
Thor laughs heartily. “It’s the bond,” he explains. “It’s getting stronger.”  
“Where’s the glow coming from?”  
“The bond manifests many different ways,” Thor says. “Some are only psychological, some are only physical, and some are both.”  
Bruce raises his eyebrows. “So...what does that mean?”  
“It means we’re very powerful.” Thor raises Bruce’s hand, pressing a kiss to it. “As the bond grows stronger, so will our powers.”  
“Powers?”  
Thor nods his head. “Mental manipulation, astral projection, elemental control, things like that.”  
“You can’t be serious,” Bruce scoffs.  
“I am.”  
Bruce stops and stares up at Thor. “You mean...we’ll be able to do all that?”  
“If we practice, yes.” Thor says with a small nod.  
“Do you want that?” he asks. “I know you have mixed feelings about having powers.”  
Bruce nods his head. “I want it.”

 

Three hours later, Thor and Bruce were standing in an empty conference room in the compound. Hela was magically bound and gagged, sitting in a chair at the table.  
Thor looks over at the door desperately.  
“Bruce, I’m not so sure she’ll show up.”  
Bruce rubs a circle on the small of Thor’s back.  
“Be patient.”  
Thor huffs and begins pacing. “If she doesn’t show we’ll have to throw the whole plan away.”  
“Stop stressing, she’ll do what needs to be done.”  
Thor stops and turns to Bruce, gripping his upper arms. “Thank you for being here with me, I’m not sure if I would have the courage to do this if you weren’t by my side.”  
Bruce smiles up at Thor. “You could’ve done it, but I’m glad I’m here, too.”  
The conference room door swings open and Valkyrie walks in, a bottle with a brown liquid in it in her hand.  
“Let’s do this,” she says before taking a long swig of the liquid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter took longer than I expected it to, but it’s finally here! As always, comments and kudos are greatly appreciated


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